Button loop



Sept. 9, 1930. HODGE 1,775,101

BUTTON LOOP Filed June 28, 1929 INVENTEIFK REIBEHT JHDBGE y ATTy Patented Sept. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT J. HODGE, OF WEST HAVENJCONNECTIGUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN BUCKLE COMPANY, OF WEST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECT- BUTTON LOOP Application filed June 28,

This invention relates to button loops for suspension from straps for engagement with a button carried by the garment, or the like, to be thereby supported.

The object of the invention is to provide abutting end portions of an expansible button loop with a coupling means of simple construction and easy operation.

The invention consists of the novel constructions, to be hereinafter described or claimed, for carrying out the above stated objects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear.

The character of the invention may be best understood by reference to one illustrative device embodying the invention and illustrated by the several figures in the accompanying drawing of which the Figure 1 is an elevation of a button loop in normal condition; the Figure 2 is a section of the device on the dotted line 2-2 of the Figure 1; the Figure 3 is an elevation of the expanded loop and the Figure 4 is a perspective View of certain detail.

The device, as illustrated in the drawing, is a button loop for connecting a suspenderstrap to a button provided by the garment to be thereby supported, and the button loop comprises a suspension loop 1 adapted to receive a looped end of a strap (not illustrated) a button receiving loop 2, and a button retaining loop 3, the loops being associated in axial alignment. The button loop is preferably formed of a single piece of resilient wire, a middle portion of which is bent intoan elongated loop to provide the horizontal bar 1 about which a strap may be looped that the device may depend therefrom, and the end portions of the wire are co-operatingly formed to provide the two sides of the loops 2 and 3, the portions of the thus formed wire connecting these loops being inwardly bent v to provide the contracting throat 5 providing to either loop a restricted entrance yieldable to force adapted to expand the throat to wider proportions to enlarge therethrough the passage from one loop to the other. The extremities of the wire after forming the loop 3 are bent inwardly toward the throat 5 to form the upright tips 6 and 7 which normally 1929. Serial No. 374,400.

abut, as illustrated by the Figure 1. The coupling or clip 8 is formed of sheet metal stamped approximately in the shape illustrated by the Figure 4 and folded along the dotted lines to form a clip having a closed base and side portions 8 and 8 respectively, and open top and ends 8 and 8 respectively, for the reception of the base of the retaining loop 3, the bosses 9 and 10 being formed inwardly in the side portions 8 to co-operate with the closed base 8* to lock the clip onto the wire of the loop to prevent axial separation of the clip from the loop and to permit a limited lateral relative movement of the loop extremities which in expanded relation tend to engage the bosses as illustrated by the Figure 3. The top edges of the open part of the clip are pro vided with the curved seat 11 for the button shank 12, these curved portions being pinched together and welded one to the other to prevent an accidental spreading of the folded clip.

After a button has been received by the loop 2 and the shank 12 engages the restricted entrance to the loop 3, as illustrated by the Figure 1, a downwardly directed force exerted upon the button will cause the shank 12 to act as a cam to operate and expand the throat 5, as illustrated by the Figure 3, to permit the shank 12 to enter the loop 3 and become seated upon the seat 11. This expansion of the throat 5 is limited to the distancethe arms 6 and 7 may travel before being stopped by the engagement of the tips with the bosses 9 and 10, the resiliency of the wire being relied upon to return the tips to their normally abutting relation.

I claim:

1. A button loopcomprising a pair of spring arms forming a contracted portion near one end of the loop, the arms being divergent beyond said portion and then being bent inwardly so that they abut, the inwardly bent portion having ends bent inwardly relative to said contracted portion, and a clip having closed base and side portions with open top and ends adapt-ed to receive the abutting arms, and inwardly formed bosses provided by the side portions and spaced apart and from either side of the abutting arms to cooperate With the closed base por tion to lock the clip upon the loop and permit the abutting arms a limited lateral freedom of movement as the throat expands and contracts.

2. A button loop comprising a single piece of resilient wire a middle portion of which is bent to form a suspension loop and the end portions are bent to form associated loops in axial alignment and having an intermediate restricted opening providing communication between the loops, the free ends of the Wire abutting and inwardly bent, and a folded sheet metal clip having closed base and side portions and open top and ends adapted to receive the abutting bent ends,

and inwardly formed bosses provided by the side portions and laterally spaced apart and from either side of the abutting ends to cooperate With the closed base portion tolock the clip upon the loop and to permitvonly a limited lateral relative movement of the abutting ends therein as the throat expandsand contracts. e z

3. A button loop comprising a single piece of resilient wire a middle portion of WhlOlliS bent to form a suspension loop and the end portions are bent to form associatedloops in axial alignment and having an intermediate restricted opening providing communication between the associated loops, the free ends'of the wire abutting and inwardly bent, and a folded sheet metal clip having closed base and side portions and open top and ends adapted to receive the abutting bent ends, inwardly formed bosses provided by the side portions and laterally spaced apart and from either side of the abutting ends to cooperate With the closed base portion to lock the clip upon the loop and to permit only a limited lateral relative movement of the abutting ends therein as the throat expands and contracts, and a shank seat with which the top edges of the side portions are provided, the seat edges I being pinched together and welded.

4. A coupling clip for bent and abutting extremities of spring arms, the coupling comprising a folded sheet metal clip having closed base and side portions and open top and ends adapted't'o receive the abutting extremities, and inwardly formed bosses provided by the side portions and laterally spaced apart and from either side of the abutting extremitiesand adapted to co-operate with the closed base portion to lock the clip upon both extremities to permit only a limited lateral relative freedom of movement of the extremities Within the clip uponany oscillation of the sprin arms.

Bonnier J. HODGE. 

